LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 21, 2020

Kawhi Leonard

Postgame Press Conference

Clippers 130, Mavericks 122

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Kawhi.

Q. You had eight assists tonight. Averaging a career high in assists. How much more deadly and effective are you on the court with that play making going?

KAWHI LEONARD: I mean, it makes our team effective. When guys are knocking down shots, it's hard for teams to collapse or double or just sit in the gap.

I mean, my teammates get the credit. You pass the ball, they're making it. That's how you get assists.

Q. Coach is saying this is the first time he saw Trez at Trez speed. Did it feel like he was back to the Trez from the regular season, before the break?

KAWHI LEONARD: I mean, it looked like it to me. He was running the floor tonight. He got to his spots, got to the free-throw line, made shots, came over in his help position. He did a great job tonight.

Q. With Paul George, Doc said he got a layup at the end, thought maybe that will help him carry over to the next game to see the ball go in. Anything you said to him? What are your conversations to get him out of this stretch?

KAWHI LEONARD: I mean, he's good. We all start from scratch again Game 4. You shoot 100% from three in two games, three games, doesn't mean you're going to shoot well going forward.

It's all from scratch again. This is Playoff basketball. He's a confident player, he's going to turn it around. We got his back.

Q. You got a hundred points through the first three games, first time in franchise history for the Clippers. How are you feeling? What are you seeing on the floor that's working for you? How locked in are you?

KAWHI LEONARD: Just being aggressive. The whole team is being aggressive. They're helping me get easy shots. Just out there playing, man. Just want to win a basketball game.

Shots went in for me tonight. Like I said, every game is special. I was able to come through tonight and make shots. My teammates helped me, as well, knocking down their open looks, making the paint a little bit more open.

Q. What did you think of Landry's performance tonight?

KAWHI LEONARD: He played well. He took pride in his defense tonight. He didn't want to make mistakes. Even when he made them, he just put it behind him. He was aggressive going to the rim offensively. His three-pointers started falling. I think he did well.

Q. From your perspective, what adjustments did you make today that came out with the W?

KAWHI LEONARD: I think we came out with more energy that first quarter. Pretty much won the game in that first quarter in Game 2 going up I think 15-2, 15-4 at one point. With a team like that, it's hard to come back in the game. We just sat down tonight, helped each other, and that's pretty much it.

We made shots early. The second game we didn't make shots. We made shots tonight. Helped us sustain our lead.

Q. In this series does it feel like a matchup where you really cannot rest on any big lead that you have with the shooting, star power and talent on both sides?

KAWHI LEONARD: I mean, with Dallas, they're a great basketball team, Luka leading the way. Porzingis is doing a great job. Everybody else is falling in.

In the Playoffs your best players always got to stand up. It's for both teams. I think we did a great job tonight keeping that lead when I went out in the third, beginning of the fourth quarter. We did a good job.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.